RUN TO EARTH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1480, 1 July 1912, Page 3

RUN TO EARTH.

ANOTHER DESPERATE SIEGE OF MOTOR BANDITS. . GAUNTER AND VALLET DEAD. The motor-car bandit?, Octave Gamier and Raymond Vallet, the two remaining members, of the murderou? band who iscaped the police, made their Inst stand in a little summer villa at Nogent-sui , - Marue, eight iniks ca>t of I'iirU. Tho Bounuur wa.s situated at a placn called I.e Petit Kobinsoii, clc-e lp tho Nogent-sur-Mame Viaduct. When the Zouaves, who had bculi summoned in haste, renched the scene, tho siege was immediately organised. It is stated that Gamier and Vallet were traced through the branch of a bank where they attempted to negotiate some securities. They were recognised by an em--ployeo of the bank, w;ho informed the police, nnd the. latter tracked them to their retreat. A week neo Gamier, Vallet, and tho former's mistress rented the villa. JI. Guichard obtained information of this, and decided to effect their rapture. Tho villa was surrounded by a small garden the shrubs of which conceal the house from passers-by. The garden itself is enclosed by a. high wall. About six o'clock on Tuesday evening, May 14, word reached the detective, head* quarters that Gamier and Vallet had bt-en. run to earth at Nosent«Mir-Marne. Forthwith M. Lepine, the ftefeet of Tolice; JI. Guichard, the head of the Paris Criminal Investigation Department; and'M. J. Hamard, head of the Provincial Detective Brigade, set out for tho locality, tho exact whereabouts of which were for'the moment kept secret! They were followed by twenty detectives armed with rifle?, among ivhom was Inspector ricury. When they reached' the scene the siege was immediately organised. Gamier and Yallet, with another man whoso, identity is not known, and two women —one of them, a girl named Vuillemin, long wanted by the police a« Garnier's Mvcethwirt, and the most useful agent in finding hiding places for the.hunted criminals—had taken rsfugo in the Villa -Bomiour.

A Volley of Shots. After tho officials had decided upon their plan, M. Guichard, waving his scarf of office and accompanied by Inspector Henry nnd a number of detectives, advanced towards the house. Instantly a volley of shots rang out. The police retorted with a het fufiladc.

Suddenly a woman appeared at window. "Come out and you will not be harmed," cried M. linichard, and presently a woman ran out of the. door of the villa, which was instantly closed behind her. "Don't, touch me!" she cried in an agony of fear. It was the woman Vuillemin. She was promptly arrested.

At the sapic instant there was volley from the villa, and Fleury fell with a •groan. Meanwhile policemen had scaled the viaduct, from which they burled flagstones at the roof of (.he villa below, making great holes in the tilings.

After a further consultation it was 'decided to blow up the house. A first attempt proved ineffective. A heavier charge was then employed, and part of the villa was destroyed. As soon as the smoke had cleared tho besiegers dashed forward, only to be met by a hot firo from tho garret of the house whither the bandits had evidently retreated. The siege continued, M. Lopino being resolved to spare the lives of the police as far as possible. It is alleged that in an attempt to burst into the house behind flie cover of a number of/ bulletproof shields, supplied by on inventor, as an experiment, move detectives were wounded. Inspector Cayronse beiiiK shot in tho head and Inspector Delephine in the groin. ■ Weird Scene. The besiegers were reinforced by a number of police, who were loudly cheered by the crowd upon their arrival. The bumlits took refngs for a few moments in Hhe cellar, but once more went up to tho attic, whence they resumed the fusillade. It was noticed, however, that, their fire was slacksuing,. probably as their ammunition was running short. The speclack- was a weird one. The faces of the besiegers and the crowd were liglited up by flickering torches, and intermittent spits of (lame showed where marksmen had taken up positions. As tho night was very dark, M. Lepinp. sent a message to Paris for the searchlights of the fire brigade. A large number of volunteers appeared on tho scene with all kinds of firearms, and although (heir efforts were undoubtedly well meant, it was found necessary to curb their ardour, as their random firing was more of a danger Uian a help. Dynamite cartridges were requisitioned from Vinccunes to be used in striking the fbal blow.

News of the siege had spread far and wide, and as trains passed over the viaduct, near the villa, excited passengers could bn seen leaning from (lip windows demanding the-blood of th? bandits. After protracted preparation, the police succeeded in exploding a cnrlridge, containing two pounds of melinite, which had liven placed against the .wall o! the liousp in which the bandits were besieged. The house wnsipartj.illy destroyed. After the explosion of the melinite cartridge an attack in force was made upon the villa. First a number of police dogs iverp launched at the breach in the, wall. No shot came from the ruined biifldiii". nnr! no mormiient iras apparent. "Co make eiuite sure that the ban'dils were disabled, volley-finn" was again ordered, and unfortunately some of the ;tqrmt>rs were injured owing to the crossfiring. A Strong Explosive Effective. A telegram from Xogent, dated 5 p.m., said that when twelve policemen entered the house, they wero received with shots from Brownings. Garnier and Vallet. stripped lo the waist, fired from behind ,a matrois, but they were finally overcome.

Two bodies were seen to be taken from tbo ho«;j, ami carried off in motor-cars by tbe police, but it was not at first known whether both men were dead or not. It was believed that Gamier was, and that Yallet had been badly wounded. Later it was announced that both bandits who withstood the siege at Nogont wero dead. Gamier, it appears, was dead when taken out of the rums of the villa, and Valict died from his wounds on his way to Paris. Garuier's body was found completely naked in the building, and it was stated that %e was already dead, whilo Vollct was believed to be severely wounded. Vallet was lying motionless, having apparently bee.ii killed by the explosion. Garnier was writhing in a corner, and died at a quarter-past three. Altogether six persons—a spectator, four policemen, and a Zouave were wounded, and, according t» " 10 "Journal," more than two thousand shots were exchanged. The besieged miscreants possessed four Browning revolvers and sorno thousands of cartridges. They had been living in the villa for a week past, and it was discovered upon examination that they had fortified it by making loopholes in the walls. . i The "Journal" secured an interview with Garnier's mistress, Vuillemin, who said it was fear that made her remain with Gamier. He had threatened her with death. Gamier and Vallet thought their disguise so impenetrable that they took no precautious. She related that on Tuesday, May H, Vallet, joking, was pretending to take'aim at Gamier with the handle of a pickaxe, and Gamier had just called to him, with a laugh, to* cease firing, when a voice came, from behind a fence, crying, "Vuillemin, conie out here, woman". Ao harm will bo done to you." It was M. Guichard and his men, who had surrounded the house. They intended lo lay out some of tho police before surrendering, and made preparations for their defence for six days.